“Have you spoken to anyone outside the Hollow about our patrols, our movements, anything?”
“No, Alpha.”
I reached for the thread that connected us. My Will surged—sharp, clear, and Ipressedas I wrapped it around him. Not enough to hurt, just enough to uncover lies.
His body stiffened, but he held. No twitch. No deflection. No resistance. I asked my questions again, in his mind, through the link. When I was done, I nodded once. “Stand.” He did, and I waved him aside. “Next.”
The second wolf was Edric, Blueridge-born. Middle-aged. His protests over the packs joining had been heard by many.
He hesitated. Just a blink. Wrong move. My wolf snarled, and despite what I’d just said, I gave the command. “Kneel.”
He did—slower than Billy. Shoulders tight.
“Have you passed information outside the Hollow?”
“No.”
I pressed. His mouth trembled. My Will rolled through him like a tide as I asked him the question again.
“I saidno!” There was a crack in his voice. A wobble in his jaw.
“You’re lying,” I said flatly, and I saw him flinch.
“I—I only told my cousin. She’s not a threat. She lives near the edge of?—”
“You spoke of patrol routes. Movements.”
“It wasn’t?—”
Diesel stepped forward, voice like frost. “Youliedto your alpha.”
His body trembled. Sweat streaked his temples. I let the power settle into him fully, forcing him to feel what it meant to betray his pack. Only when he whimpered did I release him.
“Take him,” I said to Diesel. “Hold him in the cells. We’ll question his cousin next.”
Diesel nodded and dragged him out.
The room wassilent.
I looked out over the rest of them. Dozens of faces. Some wide-eyed. Some hard. Some blank masks hiding flickers of fear.
“This will not stop until every shadow has been cleared. Until every secret has been dragged into the light.”
I let the silence stretch again. Let the weight press down.
“I will not allow my pack to bleed because of cowards hiding behind tradition. If you’re loyal—stand with me.”
Several wolves dropped to one knee. More followed. Row by row. I saw Killian roll his eyes as they did the very opposite of what I’d asked them to do.Stand. But it was enough.
There were a few who refused to move. Their gazes stared back at me, defiantly. Did it make them traitors? Or wolves who refused to bow? I marked them, logging their names andmemorizing their faces. Lies would not survive this day. When it was done, I turned to Killian and Brand.
“Continue the questioning. I’ll start with them.” I jerked my head to the ones who hadn’t moved. “No one can leave the Hollow right now. And anyone caught whispering to outsiders?—”
“They won’t make it that close to the boundary,” Killian said.
Rowen stepped up beside me. “What about me? What do you want me to do?”
I turned to her, reaching for her hand as easily as breathing. “You’ll be with me,” I told her as I looked back at the ones who still sat unmoving. “I’ll deal with these ones in your father’s office myself.”
